Film maker talent search launched

A search for Scotland’s next generation of talented film-makers has been launched with a call for screenplays.

Contemporary Scottish stories are being sought by lo-fi – a low budget film initiative run by Screen Academy Scotland at Edinburgh Napier University.

lo-fi Phase 1 will see up to seven screenplays developed over an eight month period by some of Scotland’s most exciting new talent.

The projects will then be pitched to an industry panel, where one screenplay will be selected for advanced development and financing – lo-fi Phase 2.

The programme is being supported by Creative Scotland, Matador Pictures and BBC Scotland.

Oscar van Heek of Screen Academy Scotland said: “This is a fantastic new opportunity to help kick start the next generation of talented film makers in Scotland.

“By focusing specifically on generating low budget features, we aim to develop films that show a genuine ambition to find an audience in the current market place.

“Screen Academy Scotland is proud to have industry backing for this initiative from BBC Scotland, Creative Scotland and Matador Pictures.”

Organisers are looking for up-and-coming film-makers who have made a minimum of two short films that have each been screened in at least one international festival.

Applications will also be considered from individuals with a track record in writing/directing for theatre or television.

Ewan Angus, Commissioning Editor at BBC Scotland, said: “We are delighted to support this exciting new initiative to find and produce a low budget feature with up and coming film makers, and look forward to screening the final film.”

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development for Creative Scotland, said: “We are looking forward to working in partnership with Screen Academy Scotland, the BBC and Matador Pictures to offer Scotland’s up-and-coming talent a chance to develop their skills and work with professionals.”

Nigel Thomas of Matador Pictures: “We are delighted to be involved in this exciting initiative which will aim to uncover and foster some of the brightest up-and-coming talent in the UK.”

To submit a screenplay, or for more information, please visit www.lo-fi-movies.com

The Limelight

The Limelight is a feature film that was based on an original script called “Tears of a Clown” by Comedian/writer Glen Maney.


He wrote it after witnessing a comedian who had had experienced  the death of a parent, the loss of a day job and the break-up with a girlfriend who ran off with another comedian, all in the space of 72 hours, put aside his depression to get up on stage and make people laugh before resuming his depression after the show.


Glen sold the option to the script in 2001 but when the production company couldn’t raise the required £2 million pounds they wanted to make the film the option wasn’t taken up and Glen had the script and rights returned to him on 2004.


With the encouragement of fellow comedians such as Ricky Grover and film makers and friends Paul Anthony Long and Stephen Hammal, Glen decided to take a leap of faith and make a film of the script himself, with the support of those friends.


After much planning it was decided that because of his busy work schedule and other filming commitments, Ricky Grover (Eastenders –Big Fat Gypsy Gangster) would take the role of Al Moran (The Greedy Comedy agent) instead of the lead role that he was originally cast for, that of Gary Shand. There was an open casting for the lead role but no one really captured the essence of the ageing, struggling comedian who was fighting, depression, alcohol dependency, schizophrenia and a marriage break-up caused by his ambitions and desire to be a success in the world of comedy. It was suggested by both Ricky Grover and Stephen Hammal that as Glen knew Gary Shand better than anyone else, he should take the role. So Gary Shand was cast !


Comedians and friends of Glen since his early days in comedy Patrick Monahan (Winner of Show Me The Funny 2012) and Jay Sodagar also agreed to join the cast as Sean Bollinger and stereotypical landlord Mr.Ali respectively.


The creative talent of John Robson who had overseen several promotional music films and was also a friend of Glen’s was brought on board at the eleventh hour as Glen decided he needed the strongest possible team around him in order to deliver the project using only funding (£30K) from his own earnings, £1500 from Screen South and finance from friends and family after the defunct National Film Council had turned him down for funding in favour of other projects that needed the money more, such as an instalment of the Harry Potter franchise!


On the 5^th February 2006 with the kind permission of owner Noel Faulkner, the first scenes were shot at the Comedy Cafe in London.


John Robson persuaded friends Mark Monero (Eastenders-Wild Bill,Trial and Retribution) and comedians Craig Campbell (Michael McIntyre’s Roadshow) and Phil Nichol (Confetti ) to become involved and also recruited Ricky Stanbridge and The Almighty Chancers, for the soundtrack.


Sonya Roseman was cast as former escort and love interest Sara Meo and Amanda Williamson who Glen had worked with before came onboard as Gary Shand’s estranged and long suffering wife Linda. Again an open casting didn’t really provide the actor and actress needed to play Gary Shand’s children, so Glen’s own children Laura and Nicholas played Gary Shand’s children.


Filming when funds and cast were available it has taken five long years for this project to reach a conclusion.


The film was shot in London,Glasgow and on the Isle of Wight.


The final piece of the jigsaw saw Ricky Milling and Taj Deol join the production team with their editing and colouring skills,overseen by John,who had gained many of the skills himself during the long production process..


What have we produced after all this time? We believe that we’ve produced a black comedy that could reach cult status if the plaudits continue to arrive along the lines of those that we have already.


“You’ll laugh and You’ll cry longer than you have done in ages” Paisley Gazette.


“A Unique and Funny Film” Malcolm Mowbray – Director of A Private Function and Meeting Spencer.


“Funnier than an entire season of The Miranda Show put together. The best laugh I’ve had in ages.” Garry Bushell, Total Rock Radio.


“Some fine performances in a darkly funny low budget film with Ricky Grover on fine comedic form” BBC Films


John and Glen directed the film together and co-produced it. It’s their debut feature.
Glen and John have sweated tears and John in particular has learned many new skills in order to get this project to the screen and early signs are that it’s been a worthwhile journey as everyone who has seen the private screenings agree. The Limelight will make you cry but will also make you laugh and make you laugh like you haven’t for a long, long time. Enjoy.


QUOTES FROM THE SET


“We must be the only film production company who doesn’t have a camera!” John Robson 2006.


“We’d better film this scene quick. A fat bloke with his pants around his ankles shagging thin air in the stairwell of a block of flats is an arrestable offence if ever I saw it and we don’t want to frighten the locals!” Glen Maney 2011

The film Premiere’s was at The London Independent Film Festival 2012.


The film goes on sale on 20^th May via download or stream via the Film’s official website.


http://www.thelimelightmovie.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2378521/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/21027195195/
http://www.twitter.com/limelightmovie

WHERE DO WE GO NOW

Tells the heart-warming tale of a group of women's determination to protect their isolated, mine-encircled community from the pervasive and divisive outside forces that threaten to destroy it from within.

United by a common cause, the women's unwavering friendship transcends against all the odds, the religious fault lines which criss-cross their society and they hatch some extraordinarily inventive and often comical plans, in order to distract the village's menfolk and diffuse any signs of inter-religious tension. 

‘The Physician’

BBC’s Dominique Moore to Star alongside Ben Kingsley and a host of stars in the remake of Noah Gordon’s medieval drama ‘The Physician’

Dominique Moore is known for her comedic roles in top rating shows like the BBC’s BAFTA winning series Horrible Histories and lately in the just released BBC Comedy Social Media Addict.  Now she transcends onto the big screen alongside Ben Kingsley, in the UFA adaptation of Noah Gordon’s bestseller The Physician. 

This talented young actress is no stranger to playing historical characters having brought to life the long forgotten heroine Mary Seacole in Horrible Histories on CBBC and BBC with Stephen Fry.  She will be travelling back in time again for her role in The Physician, an adaptation of Noah Gordon's bestseller about an 11th-century Englishman who travels to Persia to study medicine.  This exciting period drama will be filmed for the big screen and has an all-star cast attached; Ben Kingsley, Stellan Skarsgard, Tom Payne, French actor Olivier Martinez (Unfaithful, S.W.A.T.) and of course Dominique Moore.  The Physician has secured €3.3 million ($4.6 million) in regional and funding and production begins in Morocco and Germany next month.   Originally published in 1986, The Physician has sold more than 21 million copies worldwide.

Dominique’s wealth of credits include lead roles in BBC shows like Hotel Trubble, My Almost Famous Family, The Queens Nose, Disconnected, ITV2’s Footballers Wives Extra Time, Channel 4's Phoneshop and Drama Kings of London. She is also known for BBC’S Little Miss Jocelyn, as well as starring in the Disney Channel series Life Bites.  Horrible Histories is currently being shown on BBC and the new BBC comedy Social Media Addic online, alongside Steve Jones as the lead character Donna Rush.  The show can be seen right here:

Social_Media_Addict

Landscape Conference Screens The Exiles

How physical places affect people’s emotions – whether by inspiring fear, love or even anger – will be the subject of a University of Derby conference called Affective Landscapes.

This Friday and Saturday (May 25-26), 150 academics, researchers and others will be at the University’s Kedleston Road site, in Derby, to discuss the many different ways writers, film-makers, photographers and artists have conveyed the sensations, memories, dreams and emotions evoked by landscapes they’ve lived in or visited.

Among the speakers at the prestigious conference will be Kathleen Stewart, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas, USA, who will speak on Worlding; or the attempt to study human culture in a globalised era, rather than the traditional cultural studies approach looking at individual peoples, regions or nations in isolation.

The two-day event will also include a related screening at Derby’s QUAD centre of director Kent Mackenzie’s little seen film The Exiles (1968); a documentary covering 24 hours in the life of a group of relocated Native Americans living in and around Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, in the late 1950s.

The Affective Landscapes conference is being hosted by the University’s Identity, Conflict and Representation Research Centre in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth’s Centre for Studies in Literature. It follows the success of Derby’s 2009 symposium on Land and Identity.

Neil Campbell, Professor of American Studies and Faculty Research Manager at the University of Derby, said: “This conference will bring together scholars working in cultural studies, literary studies, creative writing, film and media studies, photography, fine art and many others; interested in examining the different ways in which human beings respond and relate to, as well as debate and interact with, landscape.

“Ideas we will be looking at include national identity, suburbia, wastelands, rural versus urban areas, and landscapes which evoke trauma and memory.”

For more information about the Affective Landscapes conference see website www.derby.ac.uk/events/affective-landscapes

Molly Maid stars in ITV’s latest expose on how some modern Brits live

Positioned as the authority in the domestic cleaning industry, Molly Maid featured alongside a number of other companies involved in cleaning up Britain in a prime time national television documentary last night entitled ‘Dirty Britain’ on ITV1 narrated by Zoe Wanamaker.

‘Dirty Britain’ was a two-part documentary which aired on ITV1 at 9pm on 15^th and 22^nd May exposing the remarkable things found behind the nation’s front doors and those personalities dedicated to their jobs in helping to clean up Britain. Often going over and above the call of duty, Molly Maid was well placed to provide some insight into the expectations from a variety of its customers. As a professional, discreet and trusted service, Molly Maid always takes great pride in maintaining the utmost care and regard for all of our valued customers.

The producers spent two days filming behind the scenes with a team from Molly Maid Wimbledon and with Franchise Owner, Sandra Redmond, in different homes each providing character led and anecdotal references on how the maids rise to the daily challenge of meeting differing customer expectations.

Commenting on the exposure, Pam Bader OBE, CEO of Molly Maid, “We were very proud to be approached to take part in such a high profile programme highlighting the great work some people do for which they often receive little recognition and are often taken for granted. We are proud of the service and quality that our maids provide to customers whose needs and expectations vary so widely and that is what we are all about.”

'MOVIE INVESTORS' LAUNCHES AT CELEBRITY CANNES FILM FESTIVAL PARTY

Movie Investors, a new international movie fund for independent and studio-backed movies is thrilled to announce its exclusive celebrity supported launch party at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The party will take place on Saturday, 26^th May at  No 100, Avenue des Anglais, Cannes, one of the most stunning villas in Cannes and the location of parties held in the past by MTV, DSquared and Puff Daddy. The party will raise awareness of and showcase filmmakers currently raising revenue for their movies, ranging from micro-budget productions of under $100,000 to big budget blockbusters of over $30,000,000.

Movie Investors are offering guests the exclusive chance to win cameos, speaking, starring, supporting and executive producer roles in the movies being financed on the website. Films included in the Movie Investors slate at launch are the first ever interactive movies from the Fighting Fantasy book franchise; including ‘House of Hell’ and ‘Appointment with F.E.A.R’ being produced by Pinewood Studios based Supertream productions and directed by Ian Patterson.

Also showcasing will be a cutting edge 3D epic science fiction film trilogy produced by MTV Film director Tim Edmund Burke and Seth Ward called ‘Planet X’ that has been described as a cross between ‘Star Wars’, ‘Avatar’ and this year’s ‘Prometheus’. The fund is also taking advantage of the huge growth in popularity of the low budget found footage genre with a stag party comedy called ‘Vegas Baby’ and new POV serial killer horror ‘L.A Slasher’.

The company also launches a new global charity idea supported by the Hollywood A-listers and a number of fractional-ownership, multiple-owner, schemes such as a new Hollywood Hills based digital effects company and a super yacht to be used for film locations and film festival events around the world.

A number of celebrities are expected to attend including Ed Norton, Bruce Willis of Wes Anderson's Cannes opener 'Moonrise Kingdom', Cannes jury members Tim Roth and Ewan McGregor, actresses Eva Longoria, Diane Kruger and actors Shia LaBeouf and Sacha Baron Cohen, who is in town promoting ‘The Dictator’. Kelly Brook, model Natasha Poly and Cheryl Cole are also expected to attend for the gifting suite at the villa run by newly launched gifting series Strangelove Gifting Suites which will see designer dresses and modern electronics gadgets given to celebrity attendees prior to the party starting.

Guests will enjoy an array of delicious cocktails by Belvedere, from 8pm to 12am, alongside music from acclaimed VJ’s The Urban Knights and international music producer Jimmy V.

Introducing Film Stars, an exciting new series from BFI Publishing

Stars of the screen: their careers, triumphs, disasters and lasting legacy

Our obsession with celebrity shows no sign of slowing down. For decades, screen icons have captured the
public imagination, fascinating us with their beauty, glamour, lavish lifestyles, scandals and successes –
and, of course, their unforgettable performances.

Elizabeth Taylor and Nicole Kidman are the first titles in the brand new Film Stars series from BFI
Publishing. Each title shines a spotlight on an international screen legend, exploring their life, career,
methods, and cultural legacy. This unique series offers diverse perspectives, bringing together historical
and contemporary views with a study of modern celebrity.

Elizabeth Taylor was undeniably one of the 20th century’s greatest film stars. In a career spanning six
decades, she made more than fifty films, won numerous awards, and collaborated with greats including
Marlon Brando, Spencer Tracy, and Vincente Minnelli. She left an indelible mark on global cinema, from
her child-star beginnings to her ‘screen siren’ status and many memorable performances; yet these
achievements have often been overshadowed by media storms surrounding her tumultuous personal life.
In this book, Susan Smith takes an in-depth look at Taylor’s life and career, considering her distinctive
performance style, the roles that made her name, her changing image, creative collaborations, the
complex interplay of her on- and off-screen personae, and the legacy she left behind.

Nicole Kidman is more than a star; she is a global celebrity whose fame spans film, TV, theatre, music,
fashion, luxury brands, newspapers, magazines, biographies and the internet. Her thirty-year career is
studded with hits and acclaim, including To Die For (1995), Moulin Rouge! (2003), The Others (2001), The
Hours (2002) and Cold Mountain (2006), but also controversial film choices. This new book by Pam Cook
explores Kidman’s ‘personal brand’, image, story and lasting contribution to modern culture, as well as
tensions between her Australian roots and international superstar status. A chronological approach
outlines her career trajectory and examines key films and performances in context to evaluate her lasting
contribution to modern culture.

Star Studies: A Critical Guide is both a fascinating introduction to the study of cinema’s greats and an
ideal companion to the other Film Stars titles. Its critical overview of important contributions by leading
scholars tracks the evolution of this important field and establishes new directions for its future.
Publishing in 2013 are books on Brigitte Bardot, Carmen Miranda, Sabu and
Mickey Rourke.

DocHouse

BITTER SEEDS + Q&A(TBC)

Screening Thursday 28^th June | 8pm | Rich Mix

Indian cotton farmers duped by the promise of new GM seeds

find themselves in a desperate spiral of debt and often suicide in this compelling and tender film.

SEE THE TRAILER

Every 30 minutes an Indian farmer kills himself as a consequence of overwhelming debt. In India many farmers switched to genetically modified seeds produced by the American company Monsanto, and the drawbacks proved to be manifold. In contrast to the supposed benefits, the costs for fertilizer and pesticides turned out to be far higher than before. What's more, the seeds require more water, and the farmers are rain-dependent in an arid area but the low cost of the GM seeds priced traditional methods out of the market and the farmers find themselves trapped in a spiral of debt. The film follows a young female journalist trying to uncover India’s tragic suicide statistics.

‘The documentary is among the most subtle and artful condemnations of the food industry…. wrapped within a gripping character-based narrative.’ Filmmaker Magazine

BOOK TICKETS.

DocHouse is a year-round festival of weekly showcase documentary screenings in UK cinemas. Established for over ten years through events, masterclasses, festivals and education outreach, DocHouse has achieved a high profile within the documentary community and beyond, raising public awareness of documentary across the UK.

We work in close collaboration with leading international filmmakers, distributors, festivals, social networks and broadcast organisations, encouraging audience interest in the best international documentary.

www.dochouse.org | www.facebook.com/inthedochouse | www.twitter.com/inthedochouse

DocHouse

DocHouse and Open City Docs Fest present…

5 BROKEN CAMERAS London Premiere

+ Q&A with both directors, Emad Burnat coming especially from the West Bank

Screening Thursday 21^st June | 7.30pm | Riverside Studios | £7/5 concs

Palestinian farm laborer Emad has five video cameras - each tells a different part of the story of resistance

Using the first camera Emad recorded how the bulldozers came to rip the olive trees out of the ground in 2005 but was prevented from filming further as his camera was broken in the protest. Yet, Emad keeps on filming with new cameras despite pleas from his wife, who fears reprisals. It makes for an intensely powerful personal document about one village's struggle against violence and oppression. ‘We made this film with sincere initiative, trying to avoid all the clichés’ and traps as much as we could, and to challenge our own prejudgments’.

‘Eloquence, spare cinematic metaphor and intimate personal vision create a visceral, first-person story of non-violent resistance in Bil’in’ (Hotdocs)

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Guy David and Emad Burnat who is visiting from the West Bank for this London Premiere.

BOOK TICKETS .

DocHouse is a year-round festival of weekly showcase documentary screenings in UK cinemas. Established for over ten years through events, masterclasses, festivals and education outreach, DocHouse has achieved a high profile within the documentary community and beyond, raising public awareness of documentary across the UK.

We work in close collaboration with leading international filmmakers, distributors, festivals, social networks and broadcast organisations, encouraging audience interest in the best international documentary.

www.dochouse.org | www.facebook.com/inthedochouse | www.twitter.com/inthedochouse

DocHouse

Join us to mark World Day Against Child Labour

DESERT RIDERS + Q&A

with Anti-Slavery International

Screening Thursday 14^th June | Tricycle Cinema | £7/5 concs

Camel racing is big business in the UAE, but the jockeys are children

brutally mistreated, removed from their families and forced into races where accidents can be lethal.

Desert Riders gives us a shocking look behind the scenes of camel racing in the wealthy United Arab Emirates – a sport that grew from local to international prominence in the 1980s. Suspicious accidents, undernourishment, sleep deprivation, rape, growth-retarding injections; the stories of young veteran jockeys Rafiq, Nasir, Ronnie, Amirul, Lokmon, Mobarak and Hasan are truly appalling. SEE THE TRAILER

‘Vic Sarin’s hot-button expose documentary Desert Riders peels back the curtain on thousands of boys trafficked to the Middle East’ (Playback)

DocHouse will be joined by Catherine Turner from Anti-Slavery International for a panel discussion on campaigning for the end of child labour. Catherine is the Child Labour Programme Coordinator at Anti-Slavery International, researching and advocating on child slavery issues there since 2002. Previously, she was Deputy Representative to the UN in Geneva for Amnesty International and worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Anti-Slavery International worked closely with director Victor Sarin on the production of DESERT RIDERS and were instrumental in the campaign to end camel racing in the United Arab Emirates.

BOOK TICKETS .

DocHouse is a year-round festival of weekly showcase documentary screenings in UK cinemas. Established for over ten years through events, masterclasses, festivals and education outreach, DocHouse has achieved a high profile within the documentary community and beyond, raising public awareness of documentary across the UK.

We work in close collaboration with leading international filmmakers, distributors, festivals, social networks and broadcast organisations, encouraging audience interest in the best international documentary.

www.dochouse.org | www.facebook.com/inthedochouse | www.twitter.com/inthedochouse

It’s the end of an era in…

 

ONE TREE HILL: THE COMPLETE NINTH AND FINAL SEASON

Don’t miss the final chapter of their story on DVD and UltraViolet™ Digital Copy from 11^th June 2012

Plus catch up on all the action right from the start with

One Tree Hill: The Complete Seasons 1-9, available from 11^th June 2012

After nine years of sensational drama, excitement and romance, the emotional rollercoaster finally comes to an end as One Tree Hill: The Complete Ninth and Final Season is released on DVD and UltraViolet™ Digital Copy on 11^th June. Relieve the highs, lows, love and laughter right from the start in One Tree Hill: The Complete Seasons 1-9 also available on DVD from 11^thJune.

As the hit US drama reaches its conclusion, the final season sees the group facing new challenges and opportunities as the stakes are raised higher than ever before. With Tree Hill favourite Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) making a guest appearance, the season promises not to disappoint.

After welcoming baby Lydia at the end of the last season, Nathan (James Lafferty) and Hayley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) find their world turned upside down when they are faced with their greatest threat yet. With the return of Dan Scott (Paul Johansson) to Tree Hill, the question is will they be able to keep their family intact?

Following the birth of their twin boys, Brooke (Sophia Bush) and Julian (Austin Nichols) are excited for the future, but will Julian be able to balance fatherhood with his new business venture? Meanwhile Brooke finds her life hanging in the balance as her worst fears are realised.

Season nine also sees Clay (Robert Buckley) and Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) facing new demons that will change their lives forever.

Don’t miss the final chapter of their story in One Tree Hill: The Complete Final Season on DVD from 11^th June and available to download on iTunes now. Plus, follow their journey right from the start with One Tree Hill: The Complete Seasons 1-9 also available on DVD from 11^th June.

DVD Extra Content Includes:

• An Evening With One Tree Hill
• The Story of OTH
• The Fans of OTH
• Commentary
• Gag Reel
• Unaired Scenes

One Tree Hill: The Complete Ninth and Final Season will include an UltraViolet™ Digital Copy, which allows consumers to download and stream via Wi-Fi all 13 episodes to their computers and compatible iOS and Android devices.

Brave

OFFICIAL GAMEPLAY TRAILER RELEASED FOR DISNEY•PIXAR BRAVE: THE VIDEO GAME

Action-Adventure Video Game Inspired by Upcoming Disney•Pixar Film BRAVE to Launch This Summer

Inspired by Brave,  the upcoming Disney•Pixar animated fantasy adventure movie, Brave: The Video Game invites players to run, jump and battle their way through the rugged landscape of mythical and mysterious Scotland. By using their wits and bravery, gamers will also be able to wield a sword and bow and arrow to defeat fierce enemies, break a magical curse and save a kingdom.

Play as Merida, Pixar’s first female hero and an expert archer, or in the console versions players can also play as other entertaining characters from the film.  In addition, they will be able to go on quests through a magical world and solve puzzles to uncover secrets.  Gameplay features include single-player, co-op for family and friends and a special Bear mode.

Brave: The Video Game will launch Summer 2012, in conjunction with the film, for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Windows PC/MAC.

The Lost Weekend

Directed and co-written by two-time Academy Award winner Billy Wilder, THE LOST WEEKEND is to be released in the UK as part of Eureka’s MASTERS OF CINEMA Series on Blu-ray (Standard and SteelBook editions) on 25 June 2012

    

• Released the same month as Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity – also on Blu-ray for the first time.

• Starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman (All That Heaven Allows, Magnificent Obsession)

• Directed and co-written by two-time Academy Award winner Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, The Apartment, Some Like It Hot)

• Won the Grand Prix and Best Actor (Ray Milland) at the first ever Cannes Film Festival

• Won four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor, and was nominated for Best Editing, Best Cinematography (Black & White), and Best Score

• Features new and exclusive video introduction by cult director Alex Cox

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SYNOPSIS:

Directed by Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot), this gut-wrenching adaptation of Charles Jackson's The Lost Weekend horrified its studio, was rejected by test audiences, and was lobbied by temperance groups, yet went on to huge success and became the awards sensation of its year.

Ray Milland stars as Don Birnam, a New York author struggling with years of alcoholism and writer's block. Trying to keep him on the path to rehabilitation are his straight-laced brother Wick (Philip Terry) and devoted long-time girlfriend Helen (Jane Wyman). When Don absconds from a country excursion, he embarks on a four-day binge, spiralling towards rock bottom.

Winner of the Grand Prix at the first ever Cannes Film Festival, as well as Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Screenplay, this brutal noir provided one of cinema's first in-depth studies of addiction. Crackling with rapier dialogue, vivid performances, and Wilder's superlative direction, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present The Lost Weekend for the first time anywhere in the world on Blu-ray. Released in the UK in a standard edition & limited edition SteelBook on 25 June 2012.

Available to pre-order from:

Amazon (Blu-ray) http://amzn.to/K2pt21  (SteelBook) http://amzn.to/ylWmCH

HMV (Blu-ray)  http://tidd.ly/998572fe  (SteelBook) http://tidd.ly/eae00b19

Play (Blu-ray) http://tidd.ly/a0af04ca  (SteelBook) http://tidd.ly/31a4b14c

Hut (Blu-ray)  http://tidd.ly/e7a741a8  (SteelBook) http://tidd.ly/9cf2040a

  

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TRAILER:

Original Theatrical Trailer http://bit.ly/Lbh2CT

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SPECIAL BLU-RAY FEATURES

• New high-definition master, officially licensed from Universal Pictures

• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired

• Exclusive new video introduction by director Alex Cox

• The three-part 1992 BBC Arena programme Billy, How Did You Do It? directed by Gisela Grischow and Volker Schlöndorff, featuring Schlöndorff in conversation with Billy Wilder

• The 1946 Screen Guild Theater radio adaptation of The Lost Weekend – starring Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, and Frankie Faylen

• The original theatrical trailer

• PLUS: A 36-page booklet featuring rare archival imagery, and more!

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REVIEWS:

"A scarifyingly grim and grimy account… Gripping." - Tom Milne, Time Out

"…ranks with the best and most disturbing character studies ever put on the screen. The Lost Weekend is truly a chef d'oeuvre of motion-picture art." - The New York Times

"Painfully sincere and uncompromising look at alcoholism … with a superb central performance. ★★★★★" - Kim Newman, Empire

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DETAILS:

Label: Eureka Entertainment Ltd

Cat. No: EKA70073

Barcode: 5060000700732

RRP: £20.42

Steelbook Cat. No: EKA70075

Steelbook Barcode: 5060000700756

Steelbook RRP: £30.63

Release Date: 25 June 2012

Certificate: PG

Run Time: 102 min.

Format:  1.37:1 OAR/ B&W

Genre: Movie Classic

Director: Billy WILDER

Year: 1945

Country:  USA

Language: English

Subtitles: English SDH (Optional)